BMW Building Electric Mini Coopers To Lease to Select California Consumers

BMW plans to export nearly 500 electric versions of its popular Mini Cooper to California, which has some of the toughest tailpipe-emissions standards in the world, Automotive News Europe reported Wednesday, citing company sources.

The electric Minis are being built at the Mini factory in Oxford, England, without engines, gearboxes or fuel tanks, then shipped to Munich, Germany, where they are being fitted with electric powertrains.

BMW sources told ANE, a subscription news service, that 490 of the Minis will be leased to selected customers in California and 10 will be used as showcars.

The electric Minis have been painted silver and have yellow roofs, the sources said.

BMW engineers working on the electric Minis are part of a new division called "Project i" established by the automaker to develop low-emissions city cars.

The electric Minis will help BMW to meet new California regulations that will require automakers selling vehicles in the state to offer zero-emissions vehicles.

Mini spokesman Cypselus von Frankenberg would not confirm that BMW is building electric Minis.

"BMW will announce whether it will build electric vehicles or not later this year," he told ANE.

Other carmakers are developing electric cars. Volkswagen, Daimler, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Renault have all announced electric-vehicle programs in recent months, joining several U.S. and Japanese automakers that are working on the technology.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by

Scott Doggett July 9, 2008, 8:26 AM

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BMW, Batteries, Courts, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric